The 5 reel, 25 pay-line slot is in fact a take both on zombie epics and the kids’ classic, Alice in Wonderland. And if Lewis Carroll was rumored to be a bit fond of the magic mushrooms, the art directors at Microgaming have obviously been taking something a little stronger: the reels are full of zombiefied characters from the classic book, with the Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, White Rabbit, and Alice herself (or Alaxe as she is here) looking like they’ve stepped out of a mad mix of Tim Burton and George A. Romero. Elsewhere, there’s the Rabbit’s pocket watch, keys and potions, plus the usual 10-through-ace symbols.

Wilds, scatters and bonuses are in abundance here. The Wild symbol – here, a peculiar purple mushroom – substitutes for any symbol other than the scatters and doubles the prize. But it’s the scatters that rule in Alaxe in Zombieland. The White Rabbit’s watch is the first; bag three of them anywhere on reels 1, 2, or 3 and you’ll trigger the Tea Party bonus round. Here all you have to do is select a scatter on the screen to reveal one of the Mad Hatter’s teapots. Each teapot includes free spins or a multiplier. Get lucky and you’ll win both.

The ornate gold key is the second scatter. Three of these on reels 2, 3 or 4 will send you to the Red Queen’s Adventure game. Five tombstones appear on-screen and you’ll be required to pick the roses displayed on the stones to reveal prizes. If you accumulate a prize bigger than the ‘value’ displayed on the tombstone you’ll move on to the next tombstone and start all over again. Work your way through the stones to the last level, a series of doors that reveal multipliers or the game-stopping Red Queen. Avoid her at all costs!

The final scatter is the green potion: if it appears anywhere on reels 3, 4 or 5, you’ll go to the final bonus game which sees you having to hack away at tombstones in true kick-ass heroine style to win prizes.

If the weird theme may be not to everyone’s taste, the betting certainly is. Bets range from $0.01 to $50, meaning that all pockets are catered for, and the variety of special features should ensure the punters keep flocking back. Great animation, atmospheric music, top-quality features: I loved it, and any slots fan should too. Now, how about Cartoon Network commissioning a cartoon series…?